Road, paving, flooring, or like structures.



H. C. INNES.

FLOORING, 0B LIKE STRUCTURES.

APPLICATION HLED NOV-22.1915- ROAD, PAVING,

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Patented Sept.

Wtuasse gmmw H. C. INNES.

ROAD, PAVING, FLOORING, 0R LIKE STRUCTURES. APPLICATION FHLEUNOV. 22.I915.

1 ,277, 936. Patented Sept. 3, 1918.

Witnesses.-

HARRY C. INNES, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO,

ROAD, PAVING, FLOORING, OR LIKE STRUCTURES..

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 3, 1918.

Application filed November 22, 1915. Serial No. 62,787.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY C. INNES, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Road, Paving,Flooring, or like Structures, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to structures for roads, paving,'or flooring forbridges, buildings or the like.

The object of my. invention is to provide a road, paving, flooring orthe like, favorable alike'to rolling passagethereover and securetractive hold thereon; and which will be durable; and which at the sametime will be comparatively inexpensive to produce,

transport and lay.

My invention conslsts in the combination of parts and in the details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts as will herein be more fullydescribed and claimed.

- In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional perspective View of part of aroadway providedwith my improved surface structure shown as madeup of a plurality ofsectional units or elements to make up the width and length of theroadway, and also as madeup of a single element across the width of theroadway;

Fig. 2- is a longitudinal vertical section on a line corresponding to.the line 22 of Fig. 1, with parts broken away. and showing somedilferent means for joining the structural elements;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing another means for joining the elements;

Fig. 1 is a detail perspective view of part of one of the elementsshowing its flanged edge with a. slot, and Fig. 5 is a similar view of aclip for extending through juxtaposed slots of two such elements asshown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing how my improvedstructure is used in conjunction with cement or concrete as a surfacestructure therefor;

Fig. 7 is a sectional perspective view of part of the structure. thesection being taken on a line corresponding to the line 7-7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing another means of fasteningthe plates at their ends in a concrete structure;

shown in Fig. 9.

Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of part of one of the elements nearits side and end showing the downwardly extending curb at the side andthe flange at the end adapted for bolting or riveting the elementstogether;

Fig. 10 is a similar view of part of a side of an element, showing theside flange for bolting or riveting it to an adjoining element where aplurality of elements make up the extent of the surface structure acrossa roadway;

Figs. 11, 12 and 13 are vertical cross sections showing modifications ofmy invention;

Fig. 14 is a detail perspective view of part of onev of the elements ofFig. 11 near its side and end, showing the upwardly extending curb atthe side, and the flange at the end extending upward for bolting orriveting the elements together, the formation of the depressions at theedges being also modified from that shown in Figs. 1 to 10, inclusive; 7

Fig. 15 is a view similar to Fig. 9 showing a modification of theformation of the depressions in that they do not extend into the curbpart of the element;

Fig. 16 is a. detail perspective view of another modification in whichthere is no curb;

Fig. 17 is a similar view of a modification of the element in which thedepressions have different cross section; and

Fig. 18 shows the element of Fig. 17 with a curb formed thereon afterthe manner Tractive efiort, considering it either as animal powerexerted upon a vehicle with wheels or rollers, such as a man or horsedrawing a truck or wagon: or as locomotive effort by a vehicle, such asthe action of an automobile; involves two factors. The one may be calleda tractive hold. or reaction, as for instance. the foothold of the manor horse or the hold which the tire of the automobile wheel has on asurface; and the other may be termed the resistance to traction, whichis greater or less as the roughness or irregularity of the surface isgreater or less.

It will be seen that the conditions more favorable to the first factorare less favorable to the second. Thus, a rough roadway a fords plentyof reaction for the tractive farce whether this be the friction of awheel tire or that of the foothold of a man or horse. But such a roughroadway will make more difficult the drawing of a vehicle thereover,especially a vehicle with wheels or rollers, each of which has atheoretical onepoint bearing on a perfectly smooth surface, but whichwill have a decidedly two or more point bearing on a surface havingrises and depressions over which the wheels or rollers must pass. )n theother hand, a perfectly smooth roadway will offer ideal conditions forthe passage of wheels or rollers, or even of a sliding conveyance suchas a sled, but will allow the wheels or feet to slip so that practicallyno reaction to tractive effort is afforded.

In my invention 1 have recognized the ne cessity for compromising theconflicting claims of the above two factors of traction. T hat is to sayI have provided about proper proportion of roughness pro... thenecessary reaction without objectionably raising the resistance.

The material susceptible of having the greatest strength and greatestdura iron or steel; preferably counner. pure iron, on account of itssuperi 3 resisting qualities. The expensiv the iron or steel is to becompensate b using it only in such thickness to uiahl it to wear longenough to be practi to have such strength it needs junction withpracticable supportii under it. Also. pure iron is most prac. obtainablein the form of wrought sheets. Therefore the preferred material is ironas high as possible purity.

Thus the requirements for smoothness which will be rough enou 'h to r, a

crease the reactive resistance without me e rially lessening thesmoothness. fin ample o r such a coating is bituminous or phalticmaterial with a sprinkling l substance. such as sand, or fine brokenstone.

A bituminous or similar moistur -resisting coating also acts as apreservative for the metal; and is advantageously also to e lowersurface if the st netting material is not designed to have imatejunction with the metal. Such supporting; material may be gravel, sandor earth tightly compacted; or may be the macadam of old roads; or maybe wood or metal joists or supporting strips.

A filling and supporting material having intimate junction with theunder surface of the. metal would be cement or concrete. Making intimatejunction with the metal will itself preclude any serious corrosion. of

arness the under side of the metal surface structure.

The wearing surface of the metal may be advantageously but not objectionably roughened, according to the requirements above alluded to, by acoating such as above described. However, such coating on a sheet ofmetal left substantially plain throughout its wearing surface would bedifiicult to maintain; because the bituminous or similar material wouldbe objectionably displaced, especially during high temperature, when thematerial would become softened; and be cause the sand or other grittysubstance would become loosened under impact. not only leaving someparts of the surface too smooth, but acting as an abradent on the metalsurface wnile thus being moved about under impact. Furthermore a metalplate thin enough not to be too expensive will not i ave the requisitestrength to resist bending and indentation with most of tee filling andipportin materials above mentioned. A. comparatively thin sheet may beused with carefully combined cement or concrete tilling: but with theother fillings it is impracticable to provide such continurnis andintimate contact of the filling d supporting material with the under sure of the sheet as to prevent all bending and indentation by thereinforcemen of the filling and supporting material. also. a plain sheetwill be shifted out of position under the impacts of traffic.

r iccordingly l are? to rovide t ie metal surface structure withdepressions inteo rals therein to increase the resistance to tractiveeffort above that afforded by such a as a roughening coating. Also whena viscous ingredi nt is used in the roughencoatinrz'. as for instancebituminous mainl, the depressions form what may he lied catch basins forthe material if it has lency to flow. and act as reservoirs from. whichthe material will be again distributed under the influence f trathc overthe surface. Thus. while some displacement of the coating material willoccur. it will not be through any considerable distance across thesurface; and the coating material will be held in such condition that itwill be redistributed by the same action that causes its initialdisplacement llith such material, always adhesive to some extent. theinevitable dustand dirt of any roadway will also become incorporatedwith the surface coating; which, with the even support of the metalelements, will not materially resist the passage of vehicles, but willfurther add to the rec. tion to tractive effort. after the manner abovedescribed. These depressions will also serve as collecting places forthis dust and dirt, from which the dust and dirt will be distributedover the surface. They also facilitate drainage, because the surfaceflow will be confined to these depressions under most conditions,leaving the plane parts practically dry.

These depressions provide further reactive resistance for traction byhaving comparatively sharp or abrupt edges; and by having these edgespresented as nearly as possible at right angles, in a horizontal plane,to the direction of all travel over the surface. Thus related to thedirection of travel, however, the depressions will offer the mostresistance to the rolling of wheels or rollers over the surface in thedirect-ion of travel. Here I compensate each of the factors by properlyproportioning the widths of the depressions to the width of theundepressed or substantially plane surface between the depressions; sothat while there are successive smooth areas, there is always a stoppingof any slippage by a depression before the slippage has occurred to anyobjectionable extent. At the same time the depression is made narrowenough so that a wheel or roller will not drop down into it to anobjectionable extent, and the width of the undepressed partwill be somuch greater than that of the depression that a greater proportion ofthe total surface is practically smooth and favorable to the rollingpassage.

All of the above advantages are involved whether the metal becomparatively thin or not. Vhere the metal is in the form of a thinsheet, these depressions will be formed in the sheet as corrugations,and will add to the strength of the surface structure to such an extentthat it will be sufliciently self supporting to not be bent or indentedwhere the filling and supporting material fails to provide continuoussupport. Also, the depressions will, on the under surface, engagewiththe supporting material and prevent slippage or creeping.

In accordance with the abo e requirements a surface for roads may bemade as shown in Fig. 1. The surface structure may be made up of aplurality of elements 1, each long enough to extend entirely across theroadway and succeeding longitudinally of the roadway with transversejoints 2 between adjacent elements. Or, where it is desired to make theelements shorter, or if the roadway is very wide, a plurality ofelements, such as the two elements 1, may make up the extent of thesurface structure across the roadway and have joints longitudinally ofthe roadway, such as the joint 3. Such a plurality of elements 1 mayhave joints 2' transversely of the roadway similar to the joints 2 0fthe continuous elements. Such a structure is 'laid upon a bed ofsupporting material 4 which has been prepared by closely compacting it,as by rolling, and preferably by giving it a slight crowning asindicated. The smoothness of the surface are suitably joined togetherand laid they are forced closelv down against the bed 4 by suitableheavy pressure, as by means of a road roller or by tamping. With thesecurbs 6 thus provided, the surface structure is not only held againstsidewise shifting; but the upper filling material of the bed 4, which islikely to be disturbed and shifted under the impact of travel, will beheld in place by these curbs 6 against lateral dis placement. \Vhere asingle element 1 extends entirely across the roadway, it will of coursebe formed with such a curb 6 at each end; and where a plurality ofelements 1' make up the transverse extent, only those along the sides ofthe roadway will have curbs '6. and these are at one end only of each ofthe elements, while the opposite edges of these elements are providedwith suitable means for forming the joints 3; and all of the elementswould have means on their opposite edges for forming the joints 2 or 2,as the case may be.

The depressions or depressed parts 7 alternating with the undepress'edor substantially plane parts 8, may be of substantially \l-shaped crosssection, or, as the depressed parts 7 in Figs. 17 and 18, ofsemicircular cross-section, and each preferably of adepth somewhat lessthan its width.

These depressions 7 are of such width and occur at such intervals thatthey are not over half the width of the intervening undepressed parts 8.As here shown they are about one-third the width of the plane parts,preferably the width of the depression being about one inch, and that ofthe plane part three inches. The plates may be from one-eighth toone-fourth inch thick, depending upon the character of the trafiic overthe roadway. The bottom of the depression 7 may have an ample fillet,but the upper edges of the depression, where the undepressed part joinsthe depressed part, should be as abrupt as it is practicable to makehave bent-down flanges 9 to come adjacent to each other and be flankedby the sides of channels 10 running throughout parts or all of thelength of the joint, and fitting in the channel. Such a joint will allowsome contraction and expansion, and is desirable as a transverse jointlike the joints 2 and 2. -Where it is not required to allow forcontraction and expansion, flanges 9 may have openings through which maypass bolts 10. A more permanent fastening may be made by means ofcold-riveting. Expansion joints are seldom necessary, because thetransverse corrugation of the material affords considerable compensationfor contraction and expansion under varying temperatures.

The plates may be without flanges at their edges, and straps 10 may lapunder adjacent corrugations with bolts 10*" passing through the bottomsof the corrugations and through.

the straps 10*. Also the plates may be formed each with half of acorrugation on one edge and a complete corrugation on the other, and thehalf corrugation of each plate brought into the corrugation of theadjacent one and bolts 10 passed through the overlapping parts of thecorru gations. In either case, the head of the bolt, being confined inthe corrugation or depression, is out of the way of traflic.

Instead of the channel 10 as shown in Fig. 2, the plates may have slots11 where their flanges 9 are bent down. The plates are brought togetherwith the slots 11 juxtaposed, and clips 12 have their legs passed downthrough the respective slots 11 in the two plates, as shown in Fig. 3.This is a fastening means that is readily completed without necessity ofaccess to the bottom of thestructure, and is therefore more convenientthan those previously described. The legs of the clips 12 may extenddown into the ground or supporting material far enough to aflordconsiderable resistance to lateral displacement of the plates.

It will be understood that plates may be formed with corrugations andwith flanges and curbs as above described at the mill, and then shippedto the road-building site, after which they are fastened together in asuitable manner such as by some of the means above described, and thenlaid upon the previously prepared filling and supporting material of theroadway. If it is an old road that is to receive the surface structure,it may require very little preparation. Also, where the traflic is notheavy, new roads may be constructed of the local soil properly bankedand compacted to receive the surface structure as above described. Wherethe soil consists principally of sand, it may be shaped and wetted, themetal structure laid, and then the whole rolled to bring it into theproper compact condition.

the cement or concrete.

The curbs 6 and flanges 9, or any other flanges described, may be formedon the edges of the corrugated plates at right line of the bend, so thatthe bent-down curb or flange has a crotch at the upper end of eachcorrugation receiving the bottom of the part of the corrugationremaining horizontal in the main part of the sheet, as in Figs. 9 and18.

Another way, to provide the plates with curbs and flanges is as shown inFigs. 14 and 15, in which the corrugations or depressions 7 graduallydiminish in depth as they approach the place of bending of the curb orflange, and terminate at or near this place of bending. W here thismodification. is adopted, the curb 6 may be without corrugations, as isindicated in Fig. 15.

Where the surface structure is a supporting bed of cement or concrete,such as the bed 4% in Fig. 6, the flanges 9 may form the transverse andlongitudinal joints by being simply brought together and embedded inAlso the surface structure may be very firmly secured to its bed by thepassage of inverted U-shaped or otherwise suitably formed clips 13 or13, as best shown in Fig. 7. In intermediate parts of the plates, theseclips 13 have their legs passed down through openings in the b0ttoms ofcorrugations at suitable intervals. Another form of transverse joint maybe provided in connection with cement or concrete as shown at A in Fig.8, where each adjoining plate has, as its edge part, the inner outwardlyand downwardly inclined side of one of the corrugations 7. These sideshave their edges approach to each other where they are embedded in thecon- Crete, and clips 13 are passed through openings in these edge partsdivergently under the respective plates into the concrete. Thisarrangement afl'ords some compensation at the joint for contraction andexpansion.

It will of course be understood that, when installing this surfacematerial in connection with cement or concrete, the elements are placedon the cement or concrete bedand embedded therein, and all of thefastening means are inserted, while the bed is in a green condition. Thefasteners 13 or 13 are preferably made of twisted bars, or otherwiseformed'to have effective holding in the concrete or cement when it sets.

When the surfacing material is applied while the bed material is yet ina green condition, and with definite fastening means extending from thesurface material into the bed, an intimate junction of surfacingmaterial and the friable concrete bed is formed, greatly adding to thedurabllity of the complete structure.

' In the modifications shown in Figs. 11, 12

and 13, the structure has its curbs 6 ex-' preceding examples. It willbe understood that the corrugations 7 running transversely will stillperform virtually the same function, although not by direct coactionwith the wheels of the vehicles, or feet of the animals or personspassing over the surface. However, these corrugations will coact withthe disintegrated or friable surfacing material, preventing itfromshifting longitudinally under the impacts of traflic, and by thussupporting and maintaining this sur facing material against shifting andin an even condition, the' advantages of such material for providingtractive hold and at the same time ready rolling of wheels thereover isafforded without the detrimental effects of such material when notadequately supported, as in ordinary roadways or paving structures.

In F1g. 11 the corrugations 7 have the same relative positions as in thepreceding examples, but where the width of-the roadway is made up of aplurality of lengths of plates, the joining flanges 3 are extendedupward like the curbs 6 In Fig. 12, although the curbs 6 are extendedupward, the corrugations 7 are presented downwardly as are also theflanges 3 l hat is to say, the elements are formed with the flanges 3 ina relative position different from that in the preceding examples, andthe elements are inverted when installed.

As a matter of practice, the curbs6 are notas deep as are the curbs 6 ofthe preceding examples. The permissible depth of the surface material inthese modifications is about 2-} inches.

In Fig. 13, corrugations 7 run longitudinally of the roadway instead oftransversely, for preventing lateral slippage of i the structure; thusserving somewhat the same purpose that the downwardly extended curbswould while at the same time the structure has the upwardly extendedcurbs 6 at the sides to confine the filling material.

' However, such longitudinal corrugations 7 will not afi'ord the desiredresistance to longitudinal slippage of the surfacing material. A verysimple installation of my invention may be effected as shown in Figs. 16andl7,

when the elements are not provided with-' lateral flanges or curbs. Whenthus made, they may be fastened to longitudinal iron or steel bars 6 bymeans of bolts or rivets 10 passing through the bottoms of the cor- Suchcross section affords a junction at the upper edges of the surface morenearly at right angles, affording a bettertractive hold, and is in thisrespect superior to the V- shaped formation shown in the precedingfigures. It is also more favorable .to the passage of the fasteningmeans through the ottoms of the grooves or depressions. It.

will be understood that this and other forms of corrugations runninguninterruptedly either across or along the sheet maybe used in any ofthe preceding examples or in' any of those hereinafter to be described.

The above description alludes more particularly to the construction ofcountry same principles of construction apply to paving 'of city streetsor alleys or "bther areaswhere the traflic is heavier and morecontinuous; and also to paving in connect-ion with tracks, such aselectric railway tracks and steam railway tracks, passing along oracross streets or roadways. When the track passes along the street'asdoes the electric street railway track and as do occasional steamrailways in cities, the surface structure will have its depressions orcorrugations extending at right angles to the rails of the track;because the direction of street or road traflic, except atintersections, 'is the roads; but it will be understood that the same asthat of the railroad traflic. Only at ,inde endently of or inconjunction with trac s as above describedf In such cases, the weight ofthe metal may be materially increased, or if not, the combination withthe metal of the concrete or cement bed will be especially of advantage.Naturally these more expensive constructions may bemore advantageouslyused for interior work, where the extent of the structure is not sogreat; but where the impacts thereon may be frequently far greater thanthose ever sustained on roads or street pavements.

From the foregoing it will be understood that my invention issusceptible of considerable modification to adapt it to variousrequirements met with in practice. Therefore, I do not wish to beunderstood as being limited precisely to the example herein illustratedand described, but what I claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent is 1. A structure for roads, paving, flooring or the likecomprising sheet metal elements formed with curbs along opposite edgesof said structure substantially parallel with the direction of travelalong the structure, disintegrated bed material flanked and held inplace adjacent to said elements by said curbs, each of said elementsbeing of substantially' uniform thickness throughout and formed with aseries of undepressed parts, and depressed parts alternating between theundepressed parts, and continuous with said undepressed parts which theyare between, and having their dimensions in the direction of travelalong said elements so proportioned relative to the undepressed parts ofsaid elements that there is suflicient tractive hold withoutobjectionable obstruction to rolling passage along the upper surface ofsaid elements, and whereby the lower surfaces of said continuousdepressed parts are embedded in said bed material, and adapted toprevent. slippage of said parts on said bed material, or sifting of saidbed material through said element, and means attaching adjacent ones ofsaid elements together.

2. A structure for roads, paving, flooring I or the like, comprisingsheet metal elements,

friable bed material held in place adjacent to said elements, each ofsaid elements being of substantially uniform thickness throughout andformed with a series of undepressed parts, and depressed partsalternating between the undepressed parts, and continuous with saidundepressed parts which they are between, and having their dimensions inthe direction of travel along said elements so proportioned relative tothe undepressed parts that there is suflicient tractive hold withoutobjectionable obstruction to rolling passage along the upper surface ofsaid elements, and whereby the lower surface of said continuousdepressed parts are embedded in said bed material and adapted to preventslippage of said element on said bed material, or sifting of said bedmaterial through said element, and means attaching adjacent ones of saidelements together.

3. A structure for roads, paving, flooring or the like, comprising sheetmetal elements formed with curbs along opposite edges of said structuresubstantially parallel with the direction of travel along the structure,filling material flanked and held in place adjacent to said elements bysaid curbs, each of said elements being of substantially uniformthickness throughout and formed with a series of alternating planeparts, and depressed parts continuous between the plane parts, runninguninterruptedly at a substantial angle to the direction of travel alongsaid elements, and having their dimensions in said direction soproportioned relative to said plane parts that there is sufiicienttractive hold without objectionable obstruction to rolling passage alongthe upper surface of said elements, and whereby the lower sur- I facesof said depressed parts are embedded in said bed material and adapted toprevent slippage of said element on said bed material,

and means attaching adjacent ones of said elements. together.

4:- A structure for roads, paving, flooring or the like, consisting of abed, a surface element composed of sheet metal of substantially uniformthickness throughout,

formed with a series of alternating plane-- parts and depressed partscontinuous between the plane parts, running uninterruptedlysubstantially transversely of the direction of travel along saidstructure, and separate fastening means engaging said element withinsome of its depressed parts and extending into said bed to hold saidelements in place.

HARRY G. INNES. Witnesses:

JAMES N. RAMSEY, CLARENCE PERDEW.

